adult 1 of 2

noun

Definition of adultnext
as in grown-up
a fully grown person at the beach, the adults sat under broad umbrellas while the children splashed in the water

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

adult

2 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈdəlt How to pronounce adult (audio)
1
as in mature
relating to or typical of adults; displaying proper maturity an adult reaction to the issue

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pornographic
dealing in or with explicitly sexual material an adult magazine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in matured
fully grown or developed insects that are butterflies in their adult stage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adult
Noun
Sports bettors are therefore adults, and the law generally expects adults to possess greater maturity and self-control than minors. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026 That's what happened when Kerr stumbled upon the three grizzly bears, and the adult female wasn't pleased to see him. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Justin Vernon’s midwestern charm and pliable falsetto has always endeared him to indie-rock dads raised on Michael McDonald, but starting a family himself between Bon Iver projects turned this year’s Sable, Fable into a deep examination of the fatherly adult contemporary figure in popular music. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025 Corrigan has also appeared in independent non-adult films such as Chillerama and appeared in Gus Van Sant’s Harvey Milk biopic Milk. — Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for adult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adult
  1. grown-up
  2. mature
  3. pornographic
  4. matured
  5. elder
  6. erotic
  7. ripe
Noun
  • Reportedly shot for less than $100,000, this tale of Pooh and Piglet all grown-up and running amok recently opened to box office success in Mexico and is currently playing on cinema screens around America.
    — Clark Collis, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
Definition of grown-up
Adjective
  • The bloc has some key strengths, such as data center operating costs below the global average, mature manufacturing infrastructure, and rapid uptake of digital AI applications and clean energy.
    — Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • This approach is extraordinarily mature and remains the foundation of modern computing.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of mature
Adjective
  • The sheriff’s office said Ahlers had hundreds, and possibly thousands, of pornographic photos and videos of children on his hard drive.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The employees also sent pornographic magazines with David Steiner’s name to a neighbor’s home and planned to install a GPS device on the couple’s car.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • Think of this as the matured version of the Kool-Aid dip-dye technique.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of matured
Noun
  • Borges may not be able to see the scenery, but delights in every scrap of local color, to a degree that the American — tasked with describing everything to his elder, in suitably lyrical terms — finds quite wearisome.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
  • One bathroom had no toilet seat and there was no lighting in a stairwell used by elders unsure of their footing.
    — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of elder
Adjective
  • His Ian is a man who loves life — the life of a British celebrity, an erotic adventurer, and an actor who’s gifted and ambitious enough to think of himself as an artist.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • No other designer has synthesized erotic tension with such aplomb since Ford himself.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of erotic
Adjective
  • Their ripe fruit can fall and stain sidewalks and patios, so make sure the tree has plenty of room away from those areas in your yard.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026
  • It can be made year-round, substituting in whatever fruit is available, ripe and delicious.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ripe

Browse Nearby Words

adulatory
adult
adulterant
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Cite this Entry

“Adult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adult. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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